The Demon's Mark

The Reunion

After Alex found himself back in the summoning circle, Jack fixed the salt circle.

Jack watched, frozen in place- as Alex snapped his fingers, and a glowing white orb materialized within the summoning circle.

Jack's heart raced. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. His mind immediately leaped to one conclusion—Kyle.

"Is that...?" Jack whispered, his voice trembling, the words hanging in the air unfinished.

Jack just stared at it. He felt Kyle's presence. He couldn't describe it.

Alex's sharp eyes softened as they met Jack's. After a moment he started to toss the white orb between two hands, playing with it as if it were a tennis ball.

Alex's aloofness about a literal human soul made Jack's stomach churn.

"Yes, darling. This is Kyle's soul."Alex said, slowly passing the orb from hand to hand still.

"Can you stop juggling it like it's a fucking tennis ball for you to play with?" Jack said, irritated.

Alex laughed lightly- but stopped the motion.

"Tough crowd." Alex said, deadpan.

Now that the orb was just stationary, glowing in the circle- Jack was mesmerized by it.

Without thinking- Jack took a step into the circle, his feet moving almost on their own- as if drawn to the glowing orb. His hand reached out toward it, entranced by the delicate light. He could feel Kyle—so close, so real.

Suddenly, Alex's hand shot out and gripped Jack's wrist tightly, pulling him back with a jolt.

"Don't touch that," Alex growled, his tone sharp and commanding, his grip like iron.

Alex touching it made no difference. Another human touching another human's soul- that is where it gets messy.

Alex needed Jack's souls intact. It needed to be- Unaltered. Untouched. Unattached.

Jack felt his breath catch in his throat, a cold wave of fear washing over him. He hadn't expected Alex to get angry—especially given their general history thus far.

The tension between them shifted, and for the first time, Jack was reminded just how dangerous the demon truly was.

"I'm sorry," Jack stammered, his voice shaky as he willed the trance away, realizing he had almost made a terrible mistake.

Alex didn't release his grip right away.

Instead, he stared at Jack for a moment longer, the warning clear in his dark eyes before he shoved him back—harder than necessary.

Jack stumbled out of the circle, the salt line scattering beneath his feet. He quickly crouched to fix it, hands shaking as he rearranged the salt to close the barrier again, unsure if he had truly upset Alex or if it was just part of his intimidating nature.

Alex, now composed, raised his hands, making several graceful motions in the air. The orb responded to his movements, swirling gently before he caught it between his palms again.

The glowing light grew brighter, and then, in an instant, it dissolved into a thick, ethereal smoke. The vapor twisted in the air, coiling for a moment before darting out of the open window.

Jack's eyes widened as he watched the smoke disappear.

Panic clawed at his chest.

"Why did you let it go?" Jack cried out, his voice filled with desperation.